Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Churches

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 900 churches in Nigeria have been destroyed by Boko Haram; andwhat assessment they have made of whether such activityis part of a campaign to eradicate Christianity in the north ofthat country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the statement by the Christian Association of Nigeria in January 2017 which claimed that 900 churches have been destroyed by Boko Haram since 2009. We are unable to substantiate these numbers given the challenges of obtaining precise data in north east Nigeria. Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation with a vile ideology and history of attacking civilians, both Christian and Muslim. The majority of Boko Haram's victims have been Muslims. The UK condemns attacks on civilians, including on the basis of their religious belief. The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue of freedom of religious belief and UK support to combat extremists with the Nigerian Vice President during his visit to Nigeria in April. He also met with a wide range of religious leaders to discuss how the UK can support their work to promote interfaith dialogue and long-term peace, and visited North East Nigeria.

Aras Amiri

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further information they have on the case of Aras Amiri, the British Council worker whose sentence to 10 years in prison in Iran for spying was reported on 14 May; and what action they are taking to ensure her safety and wellbeing.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We remain very concerned about reports of Aras Amiri's sentence. We are still continuing to work closely with the British Council to understand the situation further and to provide what support and advice we can, recognising that unfortunately, as a mono-Iranian national, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no formal or practical ability to request consular access. We regularly raise human rights with the Iranian authorities at all levels and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record on all human rights issues.

Naji Fateel

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain about the case of the human rights defender, Naji Fateel, who is being denied access to medical care in Jau Prison.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the case of Naji Fateel, including allegations of mistreatment in detention, and have raised the case at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain. The Government of Bahrain have been clear in public statements that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed by the Constitution of Bahrain.We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies in Bahrain to carry out thorough and swift investigations into any such claims.

Ali Hajji

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) representations they have made to the government of Bahrain about, and (2) steps they have taken to secure a family visit without restriction for Ali Al-Hajee who is held in Jau Prison and has not seen his family since February 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth office continues to monitor events in Bahrain closely. We are aware of the case of Ali Al Hajee, including allegations of mistreatment in detention, and have raised the case at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain.We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies in Bahrain to carry out thorough and swift investigations into any such claims.

Department for International Development

UNRWA: Finance

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that aid programmes of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the UN system in general have long-term sustainability.

baroness sugg: The UK supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the UK Government believe that the only way to achieve a lasting solution for refugees is a negotiated solution to the conflict. In the interim, the UK is a leading donor to UNRWA and will provide up to £80m over the next two years. This will help to provide essential services, including healthcare and education, for millions of Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. The Government has also acted to ensure the long-term sustainability of the UN system in general by supporting the Secretary General’s reform agenda, including the Funding Compact which is being discussed at ECOSOC in New York in late May. The UK is committed to getting the best value for the UK taxpayers’ money in our aid programmes. We work closely with our UN partners to ensure programmes deliver the best development outcomes and value for money.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend their engagement with the Advanced Market Commitment beyond the pilot for pneumococcal vaccine, run via Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

baroness sugg: The Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for Pneumococcal Vaccines is a dynamic financing instrument of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Its objective is to reduce deaths from severe pneumonia by reducing the cost of the pneumococcal vaccine. The AMC does this by incentivising vaccine manufacturers and generating greater competition by encouraging additional manufacturers to the market. So far, 114 million children have been vaccinated with AMC-supported pneumococcal vaccines, saving 762,000 lives. DFID has committed $485 million to AMC from 2010 until 2020. The AMC has consistently delivered and performs very strongly. It scored an A+ in its last Annual Review. The current end date is scheduled for December 2020. DFID are currently reviewing vaccine demand projections and in discussions with other stakeholders whether an extension is required in order to attract new manufacturers and generate wider benefits. This review is in line with our approach to maximise effectiveness and ensure good value for money.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial commitment they intend to make to the Advanced Market Commitment pilot for pneumococcal vaccine beyond 2020; and what estimate they have made of the expected total funding.

baroness sugg: The Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for Pneumococcal Vaccines is a dynamic financing instrument of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Its objective is to reduce deaths from severe pneumonia by reducing the cost of the pneumococcal vaccine. The AMC does this by incentivising vaccine manufacturers and generating greater competition by encouraging additional manufacturers to the market. So far, 114 million children have been vaccinated with AMC-supported pneumococcal vaccines, saving 762,000 lives. The expected total funding for DFID’s contribution to AMC is $485 million from 2010 until the programme completes in 2020. To date, the UK have made no new financial commitments for AMC beyond completion of the programme in 2020. As part of the planning process for the next phase for Gavi, the UK and other stakeholders are exploring all innovative financing options which can improve global immunisation in poor countries.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Advanced Market Commitment for pneumococcal vaccines; and whether it should be continued.

baroness sugg: The Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for Pneumococcal Vaccines (PCV) incentivises vaccine manufacturers and generates competition by encouraging additional manufacturers to the market. So far, 114 million children have been vaccinated with AMC-supported pneumococcal vaccines, saving 762,000 lives. The UK assess AMC to be an effective and efficient mechanism to improve vaccine coverage at a lower cost. It scored an A+ in its last annual review. In March 2019, Pfizer reduced the price of PCV for 73 developing countries from US$3.30 in 2017 to US$2.90 per dose. This further reduction is estimated to save Gavi and developing country governments up to US$ 4.1 million. An independent 2015 evaluation identified AMC’s supply arrangements as a critical factor in encouraging vaccine manufacturers to expand their capacity to produce safe, effective vaccines. As part of the planning process for the next phase for Gavi, the UK and other stakeholders are exploring all innovative financing options which can improve global immunisation in poor countries.

International Finance Facility for Immunisation

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will commit to supporting the International Finance Facility for Immunisation in the next funding period.

baroness sugg: The International Financing Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) was launched in 2006. IFFIm’s frontloading capability for vaccine funding has allowed more than 80 million children to be immunised ahead of time, without having to wait until Gavi has received pledged donor grants. Subject to continued strong performance, the UK will fund IFFIm until 2029. More broadly, the UK recognises the important role of innovative financing mechanisms for vaccine delivery. In our role as hosts of the 2020 Gavi Replenishment, we will encourage discussions with other donors and other stakeholders on ways to expand innovative financing to vaccinate children in poor countries.

Pakistan: Human Trafficking

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of the actions of Rabia Bibi and the government of Pakistan in arresting a trafficking ring of Pakistani and Chinese nationals, what assessment they have made of the number of cases of faith targeted human trafficking; and what steps they are taking to ensure that this newly vulnerable communityis being effectively supported through UK aid designated for the most vulnerable and marginalised communities.

baroness sugg: The UK Government’s approach to tackling modern slavery and trafficking in Pakistan is to reduce the permissive environment through community based activities, and to strengthen the legislative framework for more effective prevention and control. We have not made an assessment of the number of cases of faith targeted human trafficking, however the UK Government is currently working on a range of projects aimed at minimising the incidence of modern slavery (including trafficking) in Pakistan. DFID and the Home Office have also commissioned a study which will look at modern slavery and trafficking specifically. A second study on women and trafficking is planned in 2020.

Ministry of Justice

Secure Accommodation

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many criminal justice placements have been (1) available, and (2) filled, in secure children's homes in each month in each of the last three years.

lord keen of elie: The information requested is published on gov.uk and is provided in the tables attached with this answer. Following remand or sentencing, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) decides where children should be placed and this will be either at a secure training centre, secure children’s home or under-18 young offender institution (for young males only). The placement decision is based on the information provided by youth offending teams (YOTs). The YCS’s Placement Team will contact YOTs to make sure the needs, risks and circumstances of each young person has been taken into account.



Table for HL15758
(Word Document, 20.68 KB)

Prison Sentences

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) women, and (2) men, currently serving indeterminate prison sentences have exceeded the tariff relating to the crime for which they were originally convicted.

lord keen of elie: The following table gives the unreleased IPP and life sentence prison population as at 31 March 2019 as well as showing how many prisoners, in each sentence category and according to gender, remain in custody beyond the expiry of their original tariff or are still serving their tariff period. IPPLifeTotal population2,4037,038Post-tariff total2,1981,784Post-tariff male2,1551756Post-tariff female4328Pre-tariff total2045,041Pre-tariff male2044,780Pre-tariff female0261Tariff expiry date not available*1213* Includes cases where a confirmed tariff expiry date has yet to be received and any unmatched records. As with any large-scale recording system, administrative IT systems are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Casualties

lord alderdice: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of the British Armed Forces have (1) been injured, and (2) died, while on (a) training exercises, and (b) combat duty, in each of the last five years.

earl howe: Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018, 23 UK Armed Forces personnel have died on training or exercise. There were a further 17,403 UK Armed Forces personnel injured in 21,822 incidents. Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018, 15 UK Armed Forces personnel have died whilst on combat duty, of which one was due to hostile action. 506 UK Armed Forces personnel were injured on combat duty, of which 28 were battle injuries. The attached table shows the data broken down by the last five calendar years:



Nos of UK AF injured or killed on trg or exercises
(Word Document, 24.26 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Office for Disability Issues: Staff

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are currenty employed directly by the Office for Disability Issues; and how many people were employed by the Office for Disability Issues at the end of each calendar year since its inception in 2005.

baroness buscombe: On 9 May 2019 the current number of staff in Office for Disability Issues is 16.The numbers of staff in preceding years was; 1 Jan 2019151 Jan 201811.51 Jan 201713.651 Jan 201620.4   Information not available between April 2012 to December 2015 as the ODI data was subsumed into that of a larger team. For 2010 to 2012 figures are available for end of financial year only March 201229March 201142March 201048 Prior to March 2010 no information is available due to the ODI data being subsumed into that of a larger team.

Employment: Disability

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their command paper Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, Cm 9526, published November 2017, what progress they have made on the commitment to establish a voluntary reporting framework; which data sets employers are reporting; and how many employers have adopted this reporting framework.

baroness buscombe: We have worked with large employers and expert partners to develop a voluntary reporting framework to support organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This framework was published on 22nd November 2018 and is aimed at large employers with 250 or more employees. The framework encourages employers to report what steps they are taking to support their disabled employees and employee health and wellbeing as well as the percentage of individuals within their organisation with a disability or a long-term physical or mental health condition. Government are working with partners to actively promote the framework and to monitor and review its effectiveness.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what formal consultationthey have undertaken with councils as part oftheirFuture Telecoms Infrastructure Review to understand the best option for delivering rural connectivity in (1) coastal, (2) largely rural, and(3)mainly rural, areas.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government set out its long term national strategy for full fibre connectivity in the Future telecoms Infrastructure review, following a public Call for Evidence, extensive engagement with stakeholders and experts, and evidence from a range of other sources, including external analysis. The Review committed to an ‘Outside In’ approach to deployment, to support areas which are likely to require additional funding - we expect these to be mostly in rural and remote areas. We are trialling different delivery models in these areas through BDUK’s Superfast Programme and the recently launched Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme and will continue our engagement with Local Authorities throughout the duration of these Programmes.

Huawei: Data Protection

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any risks to UK data security associated with telecoms equipment provided by Huawei.

lord ashton of hyde: The security and resilience of the UK's telecoms networks is of paramount importance. The Government has a long established strategy for managing the presence of Huawei in the UK telecoms sector. The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) was established in 2010 as part of a mitigation strategy. The Government has undertaken a thorough, evidence-based and hard-headed review of the 5G supply chain to ensure the secure and resilient roll-out of 5G. This goes far beyond individual vendors or individual countries. It will report in due course.